1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a function of installing a storage medium in which image data captured with a digital camera is stored, reading the image data stored in the storage medium, and performing printing, and more particularly, to an image combining apparatus, an image combining method, and a program for reading a handwritten or hand-drawn original, such as a handwritten character or a hand-drawn illustration, combining the read handwritten or hand-drawn original with selected image data, and performing printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, due to the widespread use of digital cameras, there has been an increased demand for printing (or photo-printing) of images captured with digital cameras in homes. In general, in order to print an image captured with a digital camera, a storage medium reader (hereinafter, referred to as a “memory card reader”) is connected to a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a “PC”).
A storage medium (hereinafter, referred to as a “memory card”) in which the image captured with the digital camera is stored is installed in the memory card reader, and image data is transferred to the PC. The PC is connected to a printer, and printing is performed.
Examples of commercially available apparatuses allowing users who are unfamiliar with PCs to easily perform photo-printing are so-called direct printers and so-called multifunction printers (hereinafter, referred to as “MFP apparatuses”) capable of providing a plurality of functions. Such apparatuses include a memory card slot into which a memory card in which images captured with digital cameras are stored is inserted. In addition, users are able to select an image to be printed and to designate the size of paper, the number of prints, and the like by operating an operation unit of the apparatuses.
In addition, in recent years, apparatuses provided with a color liquid crystal display (LCD) screen have also been commercially available. Thus, even users who are unfamiliar with PCs are able to select an image to be printed while looking at an LCD screen and to easily perform photo-printing.
In addition, in order to designate such settings for photo-printing more easily, a photo-printing method using a print setting sheet is adopted in an MFP apparatus. In photo-printing using the print setting sheet, images stored in a memory card inserted in the MFP apparatus and areas in which marking is performed for selecting corresponding images are disposed next to each other as a list on the print setting sheet, and the print setting sheet is printed. A user checks a mark on the print setting sheet that corresponds to an image to be printed. Then, the marked print setting sheet is placed on an original document plate of the MFP apparatus, and the checked mark is detected by scanning over the marked print setting sheet. Then, the image corresponding to the detected mark is printed. Accordingly, the user is able to easily print a desired image by the above-mentioned series of operations.
The above-mentioned print setting sheet has been developed to provide a handwriting or hand-drawing combining print function of combining a character handwritten or illustration hand-drawn by a user with a desired image file and performing printing of the resulting image. An area in which a character is to be handwritten or an illustration is to be hand-drawn by a user is printed on the print setting sheet providing the handwriting or hand-drawing combining print function, and a user writes a character or draws an illustration in the area. Then, the user places the print setting sheet for handwriting or hand-drawing combining printing on the original document plate of the MFP apparatus, and the print setting sheet placed on the original document plate is read. The read data in the handwriting or hand-drawing area is combined with selected image data, and the combined image of the handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration and the desired image is printed on paper selected on the basis of a mark provided on the combining print setting sheet.
As a method for combining an image with a character, a method in which combination is performed by selecting one of a plurality of combining methods has been suggested (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-122991).
A combining printing procedure of the related art using the above-mentioned combining print setting sheet will be briefly described.
First, on the LCD screen provided on an MFP apparatus, a user selects an image to be combined and printed. Then, the user prints a combining print setting sheet. The selected image is printed as a sample on the print setting sheet, and a frame indicating an area in which a combining image is to be provided is printed next to the image (reference image) printed as the sample. The user writes a character or draws an illustration in the area on the printed combining print setting sheet in which a combining image is to be provided. The user selects the size of paper on which the combined image of the selected image and the handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration is printed by checking a mark in a mark sheet region corresponding to the size of paper. The combining print setting sheet created as described above is placed on the original document plate of the MFP apparatus, and scanning is performed over the combining print setting sheet. Thus, data corresponding to the handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration in the area for a combining image is read and combined with the selected image data, and printing of the combined image of the selected image and the handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration is performed.
In the related art described above, when a combining print setting sheet is printed and writing and combining of a handwritten character or drawing and combining of a hand-drawn illustration is performed, if, for an image with a background having a high color density, such as a night view, a handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration in a color having a high color density or a color close to the color of the image is used, the handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration is hard to see since the handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration is buried in the background. This case corresponds to, for example, a case where a handwritten character or hand-drawn illustration in navy blue is combined with a black image.